Butter Chicken

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Butter chicken is creamy, buttery, and oh so tasty!

Butter chicken is not quite as sweet and tangy as chicken tikka masala is. In comparison it’s much more of a North Indian or Punjabi curry. It has the traditionally layered flavors of ginger, garlic, cloves, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, combined with cream and butter; making it thick, creamy, and hearty. The heavy use of butter just makes it Punjabi goodness!

Curry is not something you’d make for a quick dinner or just toss together in a short amount of time. I nearly hate that there are so many quick fix recipes out there, simply because it’s a ramshackle way to make something that is best when done painstakingly. You can’t make a fabulous roast, rack of ribs, Thanksgiving turkey, paella, or coq au vin in 30 minutes, similarly you can’t get a great curry in 30 minutes. Traditional curry takes hours to prepare, simmer, and to perfectly layer the flavors. At only an hour-ish cook time, this curry is considered a fast one. If you’re up against a time deadline, consider something easier like a fry up. Fry ups are perfect midweek and VERY tasty. But if you do have the time and the patience, a good curry will fix all that is wrong with your day.

Fun fact #65: Curry means gravy.

Maybe a fun fact #66: Curry spice is actually a British concoction.

I think it’s a fun fact #67: There is a curry leaf – which tastes NOTHING like curry spice – and is predominately found in South Indian cuisine.

Looking for a few more Indian restaurant classics? Try these:

Butter Chicken

0 from 0 votes
Course: Main CoursesCuisine: PunjabiDifficulty: Medium
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

1

hour 

10

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

5

minutes

2

hours 

15

minutes

Ingredients

  • For Marinade:
  • 1 1/2 cup 1 1/2 plain yogurt

  • 8Hi 8Hi cloves garlic, minced

  • 4 tbsp 4 ginger, minced

  • 1 1 serrano pepper, minced

  • 2 tbsp 2 fresh lemon juice

  • 1 tbsp 1 garam masala, ground

  • 1 tsp 1 turmeric

  • 2 tbsp 2 cumin seed, ground

  • 1 tbsp 1 salt

  • 2 tbsp 2 cayenne pepper

  • 2 lbs 2 chicken, skinless and cubed (you can use bone-in)

  • For Gravy:
  • 3 tbsp 3 vegetable oil

  • 2 2 large onion, finely diced

  • 6 6 cloves garlic, pureed

  • 2 tbsp 2 ginger, pureed

  • 1 1 chili pepper, finely minced

  • 2 tbsp 2 whole garam masala, ground

  • 2 2 whole dried red chilies

  • 1 tbsp 1 whole cumin seed, ground

  • 1 1 Indian bay leaf

  • 1 tsp 1 turmeric

  • 2 tbsp 2 coriander seed, ground

  • 1 1 stick cinnamon

  • 4 4 cardamom pods

  • 2 2 whole cloves

  • 1 cup 1 water

  • 6 6 tomatoes, pureed

  • 1 tsp 1 cayenne pepper

  • 1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 heavy cream

  • 1 1 stick of butter

  • Salt, to taste

  • Cilantro for garnish

  • black mustard seed for garnish

Equipment/Specialty Items

Directions

  • Marinade:
  • In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk yogurt till smooth.
  • Add in garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, lemon juice, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper.
  • Mix in chicken and coat evenly.
  • Refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours, overnight if possible for the best flavor.
  • Cooking Chicken:
  • These are best cooked over the grill however, if you’re not going to bbq these, use the broiler.
  • For broiler: Position the oven rack about 8 inches from the heat.
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade. Place the pieces of chicken on a baking sheet.
  • Broil the chicken, turning over from time to time to ensure even cooking, for approximately 10 minutes or until the outside has brown/crispy spots.
  • Cooking Gravy:
  • Heat oil in large nonstick saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Saute onions until deep brown approximately 10-15 minutes. Make sure to continue stirring to avoid burning.
  • Add in garlic and ginger and saute till fragrant, approximately 2 minutes.
  • Add in chili pepper and saute till fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
  • Add in garam masala, dried chilies, cumin, Indian bay leaf, turmeric, and ground coriander seeds. Cook till fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
  • Add in cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom. Saute for 2 minutes.
  • Stir in water.
  • Pour in pureed tomatoes and cayenne pepper. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and turns deep brownish red. Approximately 20 minutes.
  • Stir in cream and butter.
  • Add in chicken and cook for 10 minutes, till chicken is cooked through.
  • At this point the sauce should be thick and bubbling. If it’s too thick add in water.
  • Add in salt.
  • Serve:
  • Garnish with cilantro and mustard seeds. Serve with roti and raita.

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Nutrition Facts

6 servings per container


  • Amount Per ServingCalories684
  • % Daily Value *
  • Total Fat 40.9g 63%
    • Saturated Fat 20.1g 101%
  • Cholesterol 202mg 68%
  • Sodium 1564mg 66%
  • Potassium 22mg 1%
  • Total Carbohydrate 26.5g 9%
    • Dietary Fiber 4.4g 18%
    • Sugars 10.6g
  • Protein 52.4g 105%

  • Calcium 22%
  • Iron 30%
  • Vitamin D 131%

* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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